Histone Modifications during Spermatogenesis and Male Infertility

doi:10.3881/j.issn.1000-503X.2014.01.020

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Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae ›› 2014, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (1) : 108-113. DOI: 10.3881/j.issn.1000-503X.2014.01.020

Review

Histone Modifications during Spermatogenesis and Male Infertility

PAN Xiao-yan¹, LI Zhi-xin¹, WANG Zheng-chao², WANG Xue-nan³, HUANG Bing-yang¹, DOU Zhao-hua¹, SUN Yan-mei⁴

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Abstract

:Many pathological phenomena of male infertility are related to epigenetic changes in male germ cells.Epigenetic regulation during spermatogenesis plays an important role in mitotic/meiotic divisions and spermiogenesis.The histones have various post-translational modifications on different amino acid residues during spermatogenesis.These modifications are crucial to the precise regulation of spermatogenesis.Moreover,the histone-to-protamine transition will occur during spermiogenesis.Many studies have also found that abnormal changes of histone modifications during spermatogenesis may damage the sperm development,leading to male sterility.This article reviews the changes of histone modifications during spermatogenesis,the regulation of the development of male germ cells,and the relationship between histone abnormalities and male sterility.

Key words

spermatogenesis

/ histone modifications / protamine / male sterility

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PAN Xiao-yan, LI Zhi-xin, WANG Zheng-chao, WANG Xue-nan, HUANG Bing-yang, DOU Zhao-hua, SUN Yan-mei. Histone Modifications during Spermatogenesis and Male Infertility[J]. Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae. 2014, 36(1): 108-113 https://doi.org/10.3881/j.issn.1000-503X.2014.01.020

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Funding

Supported by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Scientific and Technological Project of Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Jilin Province (2012-165),the Scientific and Technological Research Project of Jilin Province(201201077,20140204033YY),the Scientific and Technological Development Plan Project of Jilin City(2013625023),the Science and Technology Plan Project of Colleges and Universities in Shandong Province(J13LL04),and the “Twelfth Five-Year” Scientific and Technological Research Project of Education Department of Jilin Province [吉教科合字(2014)第366号]